Mitchelton-Scott's Sarah Roy has looked back on her 2018 season and dubbed it a "career standout". With victory at the one-day Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik and a stage win at the OVO Energy Women's Tour, 2019 could yet be even better as the Australian takes on more responsibility on the team. Roy will become the team's main sprinter next season following the departure of Jolien d'Hoore to Boels-Dolmans for 2019. A change in mindset is on the cards as the 32-year-old transitions from being the last lead-out rider to the rider being led out for a potential win in almost every race, but Roy says that she's up for the challenge. "I'm very excited to be stepping into the sprinter role for the team now," Roy said on Mitchelton-Scott's website. "I learned a lot from Jolien this year, and feel I've gained lots of experience that may have been missing in my earlier years.ADVERTISEMENT "Being the sprinter for the team will change the way I'm utilised in some of the races, and will be a bit of a mental shift for me after being the final lead-out rider this season," she continued. ??"Now, in those races in which I'm sprinting, the actual team result comes down to me in the last few hundred metres, which in the past has felt like a lot of pressure mostly from myself. But a few years on, the team and I are ready for it." D'Hoore's move to Boels-Dolmans for 2019 has opened the sprint door for Roy. The Belgian's four victories this season, including two stage wins at the Giro Rosa, may be missed, but if Roy is able to slip into D'Hoore's shoes, then the transition period could be lessened. "Jolien was very generous with her knowledge and a really positive influence throughout the season," Roy said. "The work we put in as a team to dial down the lead-out train helped develop us as racers and was also really fun.
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